Thing is, it does offer the spectrum to all. It allows each entity requiring spectrum to submit a business plan and for that plan to be judged independently for its merits. It's much fairer than an auction because it does not simply allow the entity with the biggest bank account to gobble up all the spectrum and then create an anti-competitive environment. It's also in the interests of the consumer because the money that would have been spent on acquiring the licenses can instead be mandated to be spent on infrastructure.

I know it won't happen, but in my mind it's definitely a more productive way to award the spectrum. After all, no (real) money changed hands for 900MHz, afaik, and IMHO that worked out a lot better than 2100MHz!

I think the Conservative influence in government may help give Ofcom the stones it has needed for many years now. My bet is that the auction goes ahead with caps on how much spectrum each operator can own under 1000Mhz. It may well go to court afterwards, but it'll happen. At least one license will have attached a 98% population coverage obligation, which should translate into >50% geographic coverage - a marked increase from what any network is likely to have at the moment.

Can but hope.